Christmas Made New – Ready When the Time Comes

Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.” The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

During this Series, we have focused on Making our Message about What God has done and is doing in our world. Zechariah, John the Baptist’s father, began with doubt but celebrated God’s work in his life. Mary sang when she learned that the Messiah would be born to her. Joseph was guided in his role as the protective father of the Messiah. The shepherds were going about their work when the angel chorus informed them of what had happened in Bethlehem and how they could find it. They shared with everyone they met what they had discovered.Last week, we saw the Magi, persistently seeking to find this one who was born King of the Jews. This week we meet Simeon who was ready when the time came to recognize the Messiah, God at work in our world, come to earth to seek and to save what was lost. Our lives resonate with these people as they each connected to God’s mighty work of saving the world. We answer the question today, “How can I be ready when the time comes?” for me to help build the Kingdom of God in our world.